My 2 cents: Flying ice is snow joke

I might be putting in more than my two cents here, but what the heck. Here goes:

If you are going to drive a vehicle in the aftermath of a winter storm that has dumped snow and ice all over the region - and it is your inalienable right to do so as an American - clean off your car.

I am talking to you, owner of the mid-sized sedan who relied on your windshield wipers to clear the bare minimum amount of snow from your car. You too, SUV owner who decided to leave the roof of your vehicle untouched so the snow makes it looks like your vehicle has the same haircut as Kid from Kid 'N Play.

Look, I get it: Winter sucks, and the less time we have to spend out in the elements, the better. Cleaning off our vehicles is time-consuming, shiver-inducing and flat-out a pain in the neck. When you're in a rush, who has time to be diligent?

So if you're not going to bother clearing the snow and ice from the sides, top, front and back of your car, I can understand. Just do the rest of us a favor:

Stay home.

Ice and snow falling from moving vehicles threatens the safety of everyone else on the road. You might not care about that chunk of ice on your car's roof, but the people behind you do, once that ice goes airborne. Drivers have died from the neglect of other people on the road not bothering to clean off their vehicles.

In Pennsylvania, it's against the law to not clear your vehicle of snow and ice, but only if it causes damage. In New Jersey, the police can pull you over, whether you've smashed the windshield of the driver behind you or not.

I don't want to admit that the Garden State is better than we are in Pennsylvania, but their law on this issue is much better than ours. So until we copy them, keep your vehicle clean for one reason: